I began attending my church six years ago with my family, shortly after moving to Alexandria, Virginia. I was, and still am, a stay-at-home mother to our two daughters, who were then three years old and three months old. My…
Read MoreA Vocation without Mentors
Years ago, an elderly lady approached me after a Sunday sermon. With a knowing look on her face, she said in a confidential tone, “You know, you are kind of a teacher-preacher, aren’t you?” She was right, and my vocational…
Read MoreAsk Alban: Choosing Your Next Clergy Leader
Q: I am on the committee to search for our next pastor. Our last minister was a popular preacher, but many of us feel he was a bit shy and distant. Our church used to attract the intellectual leaders of…
Read MoreThe Leading Edge: Making the Connection
One of the greatest theological achievements of the 20th century—at least within the Protestant and Roman Catholic Churches—was the affirmation of the “ministry of the laity.” Over time, it became clear that more difficult than calling for new understandings and…
Read MoreTrends Affecting Congregations: A Resource List
Susan Beaumont, an Alban consultant, wrote an excellent article mining the lessons of the megachurch for the non-mega: “Lessons Learned and Offered: Reflections upon an Internship in a Seeker-Oriented Church.” Gospel and Our Culture (vol. 15:3-4) September and December 2003:…
Read MoreAsk Alban: Making Pastoral Evaluation Worthwhile
Q: I am a member of our church’s personnel committee and we need help doing pastoral evaluation. Can you point us to some resources or ideas? We don’t want our evaluation to be either a love fest or a buzzards’…
Read MoreThe Leading Edge: Asking the Big Questions
On October 31, 2004, a retired clergyman did what clergy have done across the ages: he preached a sermon that asked a new form of the age-old question, What would Jesus do? His answers triggered national press coverage and a…
Read MoreTeam-Based Problem Solving
The Senior Minister at First Church was actually looking forward to the weekly staff meeting. For some time the staff had been tip-toeing around problems with the traditional worship service, and today they were going to address the problem head…
Read MoreTwelve Characteristics for Effective 21st-Century Ministry
One afternoon while I was rifling through backed-up periodicals, the tag line for an advertisement caught my attention: “Think Differently about Ministry in Order to Minister Differently!” The ad showed three pastors. Two, photographed in black and white, were dressed…
Read MoreDiscerning Direction for a Particular Issue
The following is a simple guide to discerning God’s voice when seeking God’s call in a particular situation. It is most valuable when a church board or committee is stuck on an issue. Identify the issue to be discussed. Offer…
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